Anticipation is accessible, free and loaded with oxytocin. What’s not to love about this guy! Yet we too often forget to turn on its magic.
Nothing gets our mind all lubed up like having something to look forward to. Like cocaine to the brain, anticipation knows how to heat things up. It’s almost tragic that anticipation ends up too many times generating more euphoria than the moment we finally get what we’ve been waiting for. That’s why we should take advantage of this little guy as much as we can.
In the mood for an explosion of happy chemicals? Scheduling weekly moments of happiness may just be what you need. I’ve personally been doing it ever since I started my gratitude journal two years ago. Keeping my brain in a state of perpetual excitement has never been easier. Every day of the week I make sure I have something to look forward to. And it doesn’t always have to be big things. For me running, yummy treats, doing the dishes and the laundry does the trick. The ones who practice mindfulness will feel me on the dishes/laundry part;)
Even better is that we can put our rational hat on and use science in order to multiply the high of anticipation. Why eat 2 pieces of carrot cake one time, when you can choose to get caked up on 2 different occasions and therefore increase the duration of your food orgasm? A second on the lips or 2 times a second on the lips? You tell me! Joy is always within reach. But we have to put our mindful glasses on in order to not miss those glimpses of happiness.
